Goddess of Karnak
by Ms. Kreatopita
Summary: When Ozymandias pulled the lever, he destroyed the one thing he cared about. Now, in the wake of her death, Adrian gets the chance to experience life through the eyes of Bubastis, to see a side of her he never knew existed...Adrian/Bubastis
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimers:** I do not own Watchmen or any characters associated with it.

**Goddess of Karnak**

Adrian didn't feel like meditating anymore. Dr. Manhattan's words shouldn't have bothered him, but bother they did. _Nothing ever ends…_ He wanted to believe that he had done the right thing by balancing the scales in favor of peace; the plan had been for him to kill a few million in exchange for the security of several billions. But right now, Ozymandias felt no balance, no security. Once Dan and Laurie left (he could guess what happened to Rorschach), Adrian would be left to revel in his own triumph and misery. Alone. No Korean servants, no Bubastis, nothing to keep his heart from freezing in his Antarctic retreat in Karnak.

Bubastis…Adrian wondered how he would live without her. For the past several years, she had been his constant companion, never shying away even at his worst moments. They ate together, slept together, watched the world through a hundred screens together. He had named her after the ancient Egyptian town where the cat goddess Bastet was the most prominent figure. She was his little goddess.

Ozymandias left the room and walked down the hall to his bed chamber. Unhurriedly, he paced past his armchair and in front of the fireplace, which still burned vivaciously and warmed the immediate area. A light draft nipped at him from behind and caused him to turn around and notice something strange. Adrian could have sworn the armchair had been empty just a second before, but there was now a medium-sized book with no title resting on it. He picked it up and opened it to the first lined page filled with dainty handwriting.

_**I hope you're reading this, Daddy…**_

Adrian's heart stopped. Was he seeing things? Surely he must have read it wrong; it could have been meant for Dan…but nobody called him Danny. He looked over it again, and nothing had changed. The word was still spelled D-a-d-d-y. But who could have possibly written…

No. Impossible. Absolutely ridiculous. How could he even think that? There was no way she could…but as Adrian read on, the words kept hitting closer to home.

_**Don't worry about me. I'm with Uncle Manhattan right now, helping him design a human race in the Andromeda galaxy. He picked out this lovely planet, and he let me name it Ramses II after you, Daddy. Did he tell you that I've been recreated as a human?**_ _**Well, not exactly. He says I'm sort of like him now, but I'm not blue and shiny like him. I look like an adult female from Earth. **_

Adrian could feel his knees weakening and his eyes watering. It really was Bubastis. He collapsed onto the chair and continued reading.

_**Anyhow, Uncle Manhattan says that when this reaches you, it will only be six minutes since you saw him last. I wanted to send you something to remember me by, and Uncle Walter suggested a journal. Did you know Uncle Manhattan recreated him, too? Uncle Walter is a very nice person now. He and Uncle Manhattan have been helping me write this journal, and I am very grateful for this chance to tell my story. **_

In the margins, Adrian could make out two notes written in different styles. One said Veidt, Bubastis is in good hands. Will protect her with my life. Sincerely, Walter. The other, Greetings from Ramses II, Adrian. This planet is so blessed to have a soul as lively and pure as Bubastis to guide the new human race. All the best, Jon.

_**I will start from the very beginning…**_

* * *

My earliest memories are from when I was about six days old. Everything around me was white; the walls, the incubator crib, the clothes of the people on the other side of the glass. I lay on my side, my eyes struggling to take in the bleak surroundings. Naturally, I wanted to get up and look for something that was not white, something that was not cold or distant or…well, boring. I remember trying to roll over onto my back, only to plop back down again when the harsh light above blinded me. For a minute I couldn't open my eyes, and when I did, I found what I had been looking for. A small paw covered with maroon fur rested beside me. It wasn't until one of the fingers moved that I realized that it was my paw, my fur. At least now I knew I wasn't white like the rest of the room, thank goodness. For several minutes, I flexed my digits and unsheathed my claws, slowly getting used to the idea that this colored arm was mine to control But the amusement eventually wore off; I realized that instead of one color, I had just two. So for a while I could only look back and forth from white to maroon, white to maroon…

Until I saw another color. A color so vibrant that I gave a squeak of a roar and covered my face with my paw. Slowly, the color came closer, and with it came some of its friends; a shiny one that glistened warmly, a deep one as dark as the world when my eyes were closed, and a light one that constructed a body I did not know. Together, these colors worked together to reach into the crib and grab me by the scruff of the neck. Suddenly there was no blanket beneath my tummy, and I flailed all four of my paws around. As quickly as I had been abducted from my haven, though, I felt myself being pressed against something soft and warm.

Looking up, I saw a face, my first sight of a human face. It was as fair, with bright locks of hair brushing the sides of the head. A little touch of instinct told me that this new creature was a male. And his eyes…there was something about his eyes that put me at ease. Almost as though he had been sent to protect me. From his chest, I could hear a steady beat that went ba-dum, ba-dum. Combined with the soothing sounds that came from his mouth, it was enough to make me start purring. Soon enough I began to feel drowsy, and I curled myself up tighter in this warm human's arms. I remember the last thing he said before I drifted off to sleep; "Welcome to the world, Bubastis."

Later, I was taught that the strange colors had names: purple, gold, black, and flesh. I also learned that the melodic sounds he made were called a lullaby. But I prefer to think of it all by another name: Daddy.

* * *

…_**I prefer to think of it all by another name: Daddy.**_ Adrian lowered the book and stared at a photo on the mantle over the fireplace. It showed him holding a small cat with oversized ears and striped maroon fur. How could time have passed so quickly? Adrian could not bear to read anymore that evening. Instead, he changed out of his costume and into a simple t-shirt and cotton pajama pants, something he only wore when he felt extremely depressed and drained of life. Adrian lay on top of the covers of his bed and buried his head in the pillow, shaking as he let out an impulsive sob. Soon he fell asleep and dreamt he was holding baby Bubastis in his arms again.


	2. Chapter 2

Goddess of Karnak 2

When Adrian woke up the next morning, he could not bring himself to change out of his frumpy night clothes or scrounge his empty kitchen for breakfast. Instead, he dragged himself back to the armchair in front of the cold fireplace and picked up the journal that lay there. No matter how hard he tried, Adrian still could not wrap his mind around the whole thing; his genetically modified lynx had been recreated into a human courtesy of Dr. Manhattan and was now living on a planet a galaxy away, leading a new human race. He would have never believed it had he not come across this book. Even then, Adrian questioned its credibility, but seeing the side notes by Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan eliminated all doubt. Bubastis had truly written this. He felt her presence in her words and even in her handwriting, which he had never seen before. What did his precious Bubastis look like now? More importantly, what did she think of him now?

Adrian continued reading from where he left off the night before.

_**People all around called him Ozymandias, Adrian Veidt, or just Adrian, but to me he'll always be my Daddy…**_

* * *

I had fallen asleep in his arms, and a few hours later I opened my eyes to find myself curled up in a little bed. My initial response was to whip my head around and take survey of my new surroundings. The walls were not white but a light shade of lavender. All sorts of things occupied the room, the names of which I learned over time; water bowl, scratching post, snack bowl, litter box. In the middle of the room was a fuzzy purple rug. But what really struck me was the golden chest situated in one corner of the room. I found myself crawling tentatively towards it, curious about this sparkly container. Peeking over the side of the chest, I beheld a sea of toys waiting to be used, with everything from stuffed animals and bouncy balls to miniature vehicles and hand puppets. One object in particular intrigued me: a box with a side handle that rested on top of the pile. I flattened my ears, and with one of my paws I batted at the box and knocked it off its perch. With a loud crash, it clattered to the floor. The impact caused the top of the box to spring open, and I could see a scary looking thing in a weird hat jumping out at me. My legs carried me away rapidly from the toy chest, not slowing as I looked behind to make sure the box didn't follow me. But when I turned back around to see where I was going, I was met by a lavender wall. The collision knocked me backwards, causing me to fall flat on my back. The dull pain in my head was amplified by having been startled, and I let out a loud, anguished cry.

Then a hand stroked my fur. I looked up and saw that it was the same person I last saw before falling asleep. He picked me up once again and held me close, allowing his face to rub against mine. "It's alright, girl," he cooed, "Daddy is here." So that's who this male human was: Daddy. I nuzzled his cheek and licked it, since I couldn't think of any other way to show him my satisfaction. Daddy giggled and touched his lips to the top of my head. It seemed he was happy now too.

Daddy had set aside this special room for me next to his with a door that connected them. It took me a few days to get used to my new environment. I got to meet three new people who looked completely different from Daddy. He told me it was because they were "Korean". Since I couldn't ask for their names, I decided to give them my own. There was Cookie, who served the meals; Tidy, the one who kept the place clean; and Nanny, the only female around and the one who Daddy said would take care of me when he went on something called a "business trip". I had no idea what "business" was, but it kept Daddy away a little more than half of the time.

Whenever he was gone, I would usually find something to keep myself occupied. Sometimes I played with my toys, other times I roamed around the house (but was it really a house? Daddy always referred to it as "Karnak"). There were a few times that I got a little bored. But then Nanny showed me the vivarium after Daddy left for his third business trip. It was the most wonderful thing I had ever seen. Compared to the metal and stone inside, this place was teeming with life and color, and there were so many colors! Nanny led me around, naming each plant, identifying every creature, and sometimes telling me stories about a place called Korea. She would change her voice at times, speaking like Daddy at one moment, then like Cookie and Tidy the next. (Uncle Walter suggested that I learned English and Korean at the same time.) Either way, I listened attentively and tried my best to understand everything she said. However, a little something deep down told me not to get too attached to Nanny. I can see why now; there would be much more pain in my heart otherwise.

After coming back from his fourth business trip, this one lasting a long three weeks, Daddy was lounging in his chair that faced hundreds of television screens. I sat beside him, still becoming accustomed to having so many bright boxes shine at once. Each one showed something different; this one had a lady talking with a stream of words slipping underneath her, that one had a man with puffy hair using a paintbrush to make a tree on a white background, and yet another one had machines zooming around a loop with people riding inside them. Unable to take it all in at once, my eyes settled on one screen with a man and a woman talking to each other. They sat close to each other on a couch and held hands. The man suddenly moved towards the woman and gave her a kiss. But this was not like the sort of kiss Daddy gave me, on top of my head. The two had their lips connected and their arms around each other. It was a very curious sight. Then, over the soft commotion coming from the screens, Daddy spoke.

"Bubastis, how would you like to go on a trip with me?" Daddy looked down at me and scratched my ear in a tender way. "I know you've never been on a plane before, or outside of Karnak for that matter, but I think you'll have fun. You'll be able to see New York City and come with me to work. We'll have Dan and Jon visit; maybe even Laurie will stop by. Who knows, we might even have time to walk around and go to a few stores. What do you say, girl?"

He didn't really expect an answer, but I would have said yes anyhow if I could. I looked up at Daddy and tried to copy the human smile on his face with my feline mouth. Were you able to tell when I was smiling, Daddy?

* * *

…_**Were you able to tell when I was smiling, Daddy?**_ At this point, Adrian felt the sudden urge to pass through that door again, the one that led into Bubastis' room and into the memories he shared with her. He carried the book with him as he walked towards the door, keeping his place with one of his fingers. But just as he reached for the doorknob, a small, folded up piece of paper fell from between the pages. Adrian picked it up and found Rorschach's distinct handwriting scribbled on it.

Do not enter Bubastis' room until done with reading. Said she wanted you to wait. Don't know why, but Jon says you have no choice but to stay out. --Walter

Ozymandias had no idea how he should feel. For several seconds, he stared at the piece of paper, clutched it tighter in his grasp. Crumpling the note, he decided to be infuriated. What right did that out-of-date vigilante have to keep him, the powerful Veidt, from his own pet's room? Adrian had to stop himself at that thought. _Pet?_ he mused, _I find it hard to see Bubastis as just an animal anymore. Actually, I don't think I ever considered her my "pet" in the first place. And even if I did, now there's this…_ Impossible though it seemed, nobody other than Bubastis could have recorded the events described in the journal.

No longer did Adrian's heart yearn for that joyful, lavender room. He felt renewed determination to learn Bubastis' story. It was the least he could do to honor her memory. Turning away from the door, Ozymandias realized that Dr. Manhattan had been right, as usual.


	3. Chapter 3

Flipping the book to the place he held with his finger, Adrian read the next line, his desire to learn Bubastis' story overpowering his want to bask in his own sorrow.

_**Uncle Manhattan and Uncle Walter have seen me smile. They say you'd be proud of me if you could only see it…**_

* * *

Flying in a jet was like nothing I had ever experienced in my short life thus far. Actually, on the day of our departure, Daddy had told me I was now six months old. It seems like I was staring up at whiteness an eternity ago, yet the time in between passed by so quickly. According to Uncle Manhattan, the concept of time is relative to the person experiencing it. It's something I still struggle with. I never had a clear reference of time in my old life; all I knew were the things I was specifically told.

Maybe that's why my wish for the flight to never end seemed partially satisfied. Thousands of miles separated Karnak from New York City, Daddy pointed out as we took off, and an airplane can only go so fast. He sat me in his lap and directed my attention towards the window (I was still less than half my adult size). As we ascended the upward incline, the buildings of Karnak that were normally massive to me were rapidly shrinking into the expanding field of pure white snow. Just as it was becoming a speck against the blank surroundings, a new color diverted my sight. It was a deep shade of blue unlike any I had seen before. What's more, it was plain to see even from up high that it was alive.

"That's the ocean, Bubastis," explained Daddy, who sounded just as intrigued as I felt. "It's a large body of water that covers seventy percent of Earth's surface. That means there's more than twice as much sea as there is land. But it's not the kind of water you and I drink. Ocean water is very salty, yet all kinds of things are able to live in it without ever having to go on land." I was confused. How could anything live surrounded by so much wetness? "Here, I think it's safe to move about now." Daddy gently set me in the seat next to him and walked to somewhere behind me. "I'll show you what I mean. Come over here, girl."

I leapt out of my chair and nearly fell over. The jet was speeding along while I seemed to be sitting still, and I felt slightly disoriented with nothing to support me from behind. There was one more pair of seats beside me, and looking towards the back of the plane at the unfamiliar surroundings didn't help my small dizzy spell. A counter filled with glasses and bottles of all sorts lined the left side while a large sofa and coffee table were situated on the right. Daddy was sitting on the sofa with a book in his lap. He patted the cushion next to him, and I happily jumped up.

The book, it turns out, was all about sea creatures. Colored illustrations were accompanied by brief chunks of text for almost every page. Daddy pointed at each picture and told me the name of the animal or plant depicted, sometimes reading the words beside it. He told me how rifts were made and the difference between a fish's tail and that of a dolphin. And Daddy wasn't reading to himself, either. Every so often, he would look at me as ask me questions, even though I could never give him an answer that wasn't a growl or a purr. I felt like I was a person.

Outside, it was beginning to get dark. Daddy rose from his seat on the sofa and motioned of me to do the same. He called the attendant over and asked for a comforter and pillows. While these were being retrieved, Daddy tossed the sofa cushions to the side and scooted the table towards the bar. He then pressed a button on the wall, transforming the cushionless chair into an unfolded mattress, complete with fresh sheets. The attendant came back and arranged three pillows along the back of the former sofa, then spread the purple and gold comforter over the entire bed. Daddy went into the bathroom and came back a few minutes later dressed in light blue pajamas. They made his eyes stand out more than usual, warm and friendly yet steely and colored (I suddenly realized) like the ocean.

"Let's go ahead and get some rest, Bubastis," Daddy suggested. "We won't reach the airport for at least another eight hours." He lifted the covers and got in the bed, but he didn't close his eyes immediately. "You're welcome to join me if you want, Bubastis" he offered, motioning to the space beside him. "There's nowhere else on the plane for you to lie down comfortably and out of the way." I hopped onto the bed, which caused Daddy to bounce up a little and chuckle. He patted my head and repositioned himself under the sheets. For a while, we simply lay facing each other, and I enjoyed the feeling of his hand running along my fur. Soon, Daddy's eyes closed and he gathered me up in his arms. "Good night, my beautiful girl," he whispered as he drifted off to sleep. His breathing became slow and deep and everything about him seemed to relax, which helped me relax as well. As I was falling asleep, I suddenly found myself wanting to be able to say, "Good night, my beautiful Daddy."

_****_

_**

* * *

**_

__

As I was falling asleep, I suddenly found myself wanting to be able to say, "Good night, my beautiful Daddy."

It hadn't even occurred to Adrian the number of times he had called Bubastis beautiful, precious, or sweet. In a sense, those were words that he usually tossed around. This Renoir painting is beautiful. That is a precious artifact from Ancient Egypt. What a sweet orange. All this he would say and rarely would he mean it. To know that his words had such a profound effect on another living thing somewhat baffled him. But looking back at all the instances he used beautiful, precious, and sweet to describe Bubastis, Adrian found that he meant it with all his heart every single time.

He continued reading.


End file.
